If you said earlier that Lin Ting would have cared a tiny bit, now, with her deepening studies, she felt she had sufficient confidence. Not to mention an ungrateful unlucky brother, even the entire Old Lin Family combined might not be able to affect her in the slightest.

Especially the astronomy and metaphysical principles she was currently learning. The vastness and immensity of heaven and earth, the strange, mysterious, and profound nature of fate and destiny—even just a superficial knowledge of them was enough to leave Lin Ting utterly shaken from the inside out.

Every day, just studying already occupied most of her mind and energy. On ordinary days, she still had to spare some for her two children, and also for Old Man Liang who came over from time to time.

Where would she still have time to care about other things?

As for the other people in the Liang residence, they cared even less. Not to mention that a mere county-level scholar meant nothing to these great households, but the person from the West Courtyard herself was favored, and the two young masters and young lady were also clever and bright, highly regarded by the Master. In their opinion, Concubine Lin’s good days were still ahead!

What did it matter if her natal family was useless?

She originally hadn’t relied on that to secure her footing in the residence anyway.

In short, Young Uncle Lin’s failure in the exams was just a passing breeze, leaving nothing behind in the Liang residence!

Lin Ting continued to immerse herself in her studies as usual, An Ning continued to happily learn and play, and the last one, Young Brother Liang, was still being forced by his little sister to study like mad!

However, compared to the relaxed and cheerful Liang family, the Old Lin Family, which had pinned all its hopes on this, was a world apart.

Lin Family Village

It was still that same dilapidated low house, but at this moment, the atmosphere in the entire front hall was exceptionally oppressive and heavy.

Including Lin Er Nier who had long since married out, the whole family was gathered together, and not a trace of joy could be seen on anyone’s face.

Finally, Old Man Lin was the first to speak.

His deep, aged voice was particularly oppressive in this dim room:

“Oldest, what exactly happened?”

“Qingyun’s studies were even praised by the teacher. Even in the county school, he was among the top…”

If it weren’t so, the whole family wouldn’t have had such great expectations.

Not looking again at the tightly locked door of the east wing since he returned yesterday, Oldest Lin squatted on the ground, his hoarse voice seeming to come from the deepest part of his throat:

“It’s all my fault as a father, for not taking good care of my son, that Qingyun suddenly developed a high fever in the latter half of the exam.”

“Father, you don’t know… Qingyun… Qingyun in the end, was carried out!”

As if remembering something, Oldest Lin’s large, rough hand kept covering his face. His eyes were already bloodshot from days without rest.

The Lin family members remained silent.

The county-level exams usually start in February, divided into the main exam and the re-examination, lasting two days in total. The north was already bitterly cold, and the nights were freezing. It was easy for a student to fall ill if they weren’t careful.

After much inquiry, the old couple of the Lin family had thought of this possibility before. Those few satin-padded jackets brought back by Big Nier before, no matter how cold it got, not a single person in the family dared to touch them, all reserved for this only promising eldest grandson.

Even if last year’s was gone, wasn’t the one from the year before last still there? Just two years, how could it not be warm anymore?

Even so, before he left, his old wife personally altered and adjusted it again, afraid her grandson wouldn’t be dressed warmly enough.

It could be said, for this one and only hope, the family had given everything they could.

Disregarding the cold stares from the old couple above, Second Aunt Lin immediately coughed heavily, glancing sideways and saying coldly:

“So it’s still the family’s fault? Big Brother-in-law, don’t try to fool us!

Chang’an’s father inquired earlier. This year, only two scholars passed the county exam in the county town. One of them, Scholar Wen, is from a proper scholarly family, with a provincial graduate master sitting in the clan, and he’s also the county’s instructor. We can’t compare to that.

But the other one, Scholar Zhang, is also from a village, a year younger than Qingyun. In terms of wealth, his family’s land isn’t even as much as our Lin family’s. Every day besides attending school, even in the dead of winter, he has to tirelessly copy books for a bookshop.

Even so, in terms of food and clothing, he can’t compare to our Qingyun.”

“Don’t even mention satin-padded jackets. When Scholar Zhang returned, he was still wearing a faded, washed-out cotton jacket!”

The implication was, our family’s conditions aren’t good, but we’re really not that bad off. At least we’re not as good as the top, but better than the bottom.

Besides, who was it that acted so aloof all day, driving away the living cash cow, and her own elder sister at that!

“If you ask me…!” Second Aunt Lin wanted to say more, but before she could speak, she was coldly interrupted by the old master from the head of the table:

“Second daughter-in-law!”

Hearing that her father-in-law was truly angry, Second Aunt Lin then reluctantly shut her mouth. Only the defiance in her eyes didn’t diminish in the slightest.

Second Brother and Third Brother beside her remained silent.

Surveying the expressions of the entire family, Old Master Lin at the head couldn’t help but take a deep breath. His deep, turbid gaze pierced through the window lattice, straight at the still tightly closed door of the east wing.

As the long-awaited eldest grandson, and a clever, promising one at that, not only did Oldest Lin dote on him, but the old couple of the Lin family usually regarded him as the apple of their eye, their heart’s flesh.

For this eldest grandson’s future, even if it meant taking the old couple’s lives immediately, they would agree.

But never before had Old Man Lin understood more clearly than at this moment.

This child Qingyun… couldn’t endure hardship!

Thinking of this, Old Man Lin’s already not-so-tall frame at the head of the table slumped even more dejectedly.

Yet, things having come to this, should they give up?

That was naturally impossible!

Not to mention Qingyun was already just one step away from becoming a scholar, the only hope for the entire Old Lin Family for generations. Over the years, the family had already given too much, far too much for this grandson…

Having taken the first ninety-nine steps, for this last step… he, this old man… was unwilling to give up!

Taking a deep breath, and opening his eyes again, Old Master Lin’s eyes held an unyielding firmness:

“Enough! Since it was an accident, if he fails once, then he’ll take the exam again in two years!”

“Out of all those scholars, how many pass on their first try?”

Second Branch and Third Branch exchanged a glance, both their eyes flickering with uncertainty. The silent small courtyard grew even more quiet and still.

The old master’s gaze darkened again. After a moment, he spoke with an inscrutable expression:

“Oldest’s wife, tomorrow you take Si Ni’er to see her sister. Si Ni’er is already seventeen this year. Her marriage can’t be delayed any longer!”

As his words fell, Lin Jing, who was tightly clinging to her mother’s side, already pale, grew even whiter.

No one else spoke either.

At noon, the family ate a bland, tasteless lunch. Returning to her room, Second Aunt Lin heartachely pulled her own daughter, Er Nier, into her arms. Her tone was exceptionally cautious, completely unlike her previous sharpness:

“Er Nier, about this Qingyun matter… your husband, and your father-in-law… they didn’t say anything, did they?”

Tightly clutching her somewhat worn sleeve, a bitter taste flashed in Lin Er Nier’s eyes:

“Mother, my husband and father-in-law didn’t say anything, but my elder sister-in-law and second sister-in-law…”

Besides, not saying anything now didn’t mean they truly had no opinions in their hearts.

Lin Er Nier had self-awareness. In terms of conditions, compared to her husband’s family which owned a good hundred mu of land and was considered wealthy among the ten villages around, and whose previous sisters-in-law were also from well-off families, their Lin family really couldn’t compare.

The reason they could form this marriage alliance back then was solely because of her cousin’s prospects.

However, over the years, not to mention the money lent for Qingyun’s county exam, every time she came back, she didn’t bring fewer gifts. Her several sisters-in-law at home had long held great resentment.

Not everyone was as wealthy as the Liang family.

The Wang family… in the end, was just a slightly better-off small landowning family.

Now, Lin Er Nier was truly caught in a dilemma. Continue supporting him? Such a large sum of money—not to mention whether a small landowning family like the Wangs could bear it—her sisters-in-law could devour her alive.

Not supporting him? What about all the silver already invested? Besides, if her cousin failed the exam for another day, not to mention her in-laws, among her sisters-in-law, she wouldn’t be able to hold her head up for a single day, only to be bullied.

In a daze, Lin Er Nier couldn’t help but think:

Could it be… back then, Eldest Sister had thought of this point, which was why she didn’t hesitate, even if it meant becoming a concubine, to stay in the Liang family?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep